EPILOGUE
Logan
After the setback Marcus had, he’s been doing a little better. I know we shouldn’t get our hopes up, that it’s only the calm before the storm.
My wife is going to kill me though. She doesn’t think I know about the pole dancing competition she’s taking part in today. We’re all going to be there, front and center to support her.
When everyone is ready to leave, we take three cars. We find parking and get to our seats just as it starts.
When the first contestant is up on stage, Rhett leans over to me and whispers, “I can’t believe you let my baby sister do pole dancing. I give her to you, and within the first few months you’ve corrupted her.”
I laugh, but still manage to get the words out. “This is all Mia. I had no say. She’s been doing it for almost a year now. Wait until you see her.”
Watching all the performances, I have to admit they’re all good.
When they announce that Mia is up next, I sit up straight.
The lighting fades away, until we can’t see anything on stage. I take out my phone and press record, wanting to capture this moment for her. Piano notes open the song, and a blue hue grows brighter, until we can see her.
I lose my breath as she starts to move. She’s gotten so much better. Damn, that’s my wife up there.
There’s so much emotion in everything she does. I’ve never heard the song before, but it fits her perfectly. The first half I watch my wife, before I slowly turn my phone, wanting to capture the guys’ faces. I start with Carter, who’s frozen on the spot, his eyes taking in every move she makes. Jaxson has a huge smile on his face, which makes me smile.
At the same time, I focus the camera on Marcus and Rhett. The emotion on their faces is priceless. I’m so glad I get to capture it for her. I turn the camera on me and wink at her, before focusing it on her again.
When the song fades away, she ends her performance by sliding to the floor and lying still.
For a second the guys are still stunned, then Marcus struggles into a standing position, and he starts to clap. Mia’s head snaps up and when she sees Marcus, she gets to her knees and covers her mouth.
The entire audience is silent as Marcus says, “You were poetry in motion. With every beat of my heart, thank you for amazing me one last time.”
She leans forward and cries into the floor, but then she darts up faster than I ever could, and she leaps from the stage. She races up the stairs as Marcus makes his way down the aisle, using the chairs to hold him up. The last two people get up and move out of the way, just in time for Mia to throw her arms around him.
~
Mia
We never did anything huge for Christmas, but this year is different. No one is saying it out loud, but it’s our last Christmas with Marcus.
I’ve been helping Willow get everything right for today. I’m up early and softly crawl out of bed, so I don’t wake Logan.
I pull on a pair of slacks, a t-shirt, and my winter jacket, before sneaking out of the room. When I get outside, I’m not surprised to see Marcus sitting on the deck, with a blanket over him. He’s watching the sunrise.
“I never used to do things like this,” he whispers.
I walk over to him and pull a chair up right next to his. I sit down and take his hand in mine, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.
The sky is a breathtaking array of colors.
“I need to ask you something.”
I look up at him. “Anything.”
“Promise you’ll make sure Jax doesn’t spend his Friday’s drinking beer at my grave.”
I want to laugh and cry all at once but swallow the emotion down. “I promise.”
“I want you to keep contact with Willow. When she meets someone new, I want you to give her this letter.”
I take the envelope from him and see the words ‘a new life’ written on it.
“The day of her wedding, I want you to give this one to the man she’s marrying.”
‘To the man who holds my heart.’
I’ve never cried so much in my entire life like I’ve cried this past year. I now understand why our bodies are made up of so much water.
“The day she gives birth to her first child, give her this one.”
‘Willow.’
“These are for Jaxson.”
I take them, unable to read the words as tears blur my sight.
“This one is for you.”
Surprised, I take the envelope from him. I blink rapidly so I can see what it says, but there’s nothing written on the envelope.
“Open it when you’re expecting your first child.”
I give him a weak smile, feeling too emotional. “Thank you for my letter. I promise I’ll make sure they get theirs. I’ll keep them all safe.”
He looks away, over the horizon, and I get up to go put the letters in a safe place.
~
We only had one rule this Christmas, no presents of monetary value.
We’re all sitting in the living room, and it’s weird to see no presents under the tree.
Carter stands up first. They had a private Christmas with Jamie and Danny the night before. You can’t not give a child presents.
“Do you people have any idea how hard it is to give a present with no monetary value?”
“It must suck for you,” Rhett says dryly.
We all start to laugh, and it warms my heart. This is what I wanted.
“Okay, but when your ears start bleeding, just remember it’s your own fault.”
I’m so surprised when he pulls a guitar from behind the couch, that my mouth just drops open. Danny comes tripling in and together they sit down on the couch that faces Marcus.
Carter starts to strum the cords. “You’ve got a friend in me.” He sings the kiddies song from a Disney movie, and when Danny joins in, my heart turns to a pile of mush.
We all clap hands when the last note dies away and little Miss Danny is quick to take a bow.
Up next is Rhett. He scowls at all of us. “Not a snowflakes’ chance in hell that I’m singing.” We all go ‘aww’ at the same time.
“But!” he says, holding up a finger. “I actually managed to think of something, and that alone should be counted as a present.”
“Yeah, we know you don’t like to think,” Della’s quick to say.
Again we burst out laughing.
“Roses are red, violets are blue, I love you guys, I hope you love me, too.”
We all just stare at him, until he starts to laugh. “I’m just shitting with you.”
“Uncle Ledge!” Danny gasps. “You said the S word.”
He looks instantly chagrined. “Aww, shit, sorry, princess.” When he realized he just said it again, he covers his face. “Dammit.”
When Carter finally catches his breath from laughing, he says, “Your gift is teaching my kid how to curse?”
“You know me,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “When you’re all done laughing, I actually have something that doesn’t include me cursing.”
We all get comfortable again and Rhett looks at me.
“I never got to dance with you at your wedding, so I was hoping you’ll dance with me today.”
“That’s perfect,” Marcus says, a huge smile on his face.
The opening notes to ‘Dance with my father’ fill the room, as Rhett holds his hand out to me.
I take his hand with a trembling lip and bite it to keep from crying. He pulls me into his arms and holds me close as he starts to dance.
Rhett could never dance, he flat out refused to, but right now he’s dancing with me.
Suddenly, Rhett stops, and he holds his hand out to Marcus. He helps him up, and hands me over to Marcus, to dance the rest of the song with.
I don’t take my eyes off Marcus, trying to imprint the color of blue, the love they hold, and the huge soul behind them, into my mind forever.
When the song ends, I say, “I love you with every beat of my heart.” I stand on my toes and press a kiss to his forehead, before I help him back to the chair.
Jax gets up, and for a second, he just stares at the floor. “That’s hard to follow up on. I’d dance with you, dude, but I don’t think it will have quite the same effect,” he jokes with Marcus.
“This is something I thought long about. What’s the one thing you’ll regret? I know you still blame yourself for what happened to Mia.” Instantly, the fun atmosphere evaporates, and my eyes dart between Jax and Marcus. “I took the list, and I went to see every single name on that page. Well, everyone but Josie.”
Jax hands Marcus a piece of paper, and I hold my breath until Marcus starts to laugh. “A petition? You got them to sign a petition for me to get over my guilt trip?”
“Yeah, I figured you needed it. Like an intervention on paper.”
Marcus nods, actually looking happy and I let out the breath I’ve been holding. “I needed this. I really did. Thanks, Jax.”
“You’re welcome.” He leans over Marcus and presses a kiss to the side of his head. “Love you.”
Marcus just nods, not able to say anything.
I jump up. “My turn,” I sing as I dance over the floor.
“Oh yes, where’s the pole?” Jax jokes, and I wink at him before I retrieve the envelopes from behind the TV.
“I’m giving you all vouchers. Marcus has taught me the value of time. So each of you gets a voucher for a day, in which my time will be yours to spend any way you want to.”
“I know how Logan will be spending his,” Marcus quips, as I start to hand out the envelopes and it makes the last of the tension fade away.
When Logan gets up, he walks over to the TV and switches it on. He hooks a camera up to the TV, presses play, then comes to sit next to me again. I relax into his side as he places his arm around my shoulders.
We’re all shocked as memories of us plays out on the screen. Logan asking the guys to help him pick a ring for me. Marcus and Willow sleeping. Rhett snoring. At that one we all laugh. Then there’s Danny telling Rhett and me to hurry for the wedding, and the actual wedding itself. Even my pole dance is on it.
We spend the next hour watching how happy we make each other, and I pray next Christmas will be exactly the same.
~
Logan
No one knows that I recorded today as well. I’ll keep it for next Christmas, so we can watch it then.
Mia crawls onto the bed and places a kiss to my thigh. She slips her fingers under my boxers and pulls them down my legs.
“What are you doing, Sweetheart?” I whisper, as I reach for her hair.
“I’m giving you your Christmas present,” she says as she wraps her fingers around my cock. She strokes me lightly, and it sends tingles of pleasure racing over my skin. Damn, that feels good.
She leans a bit forward, and her hair falls over me. I brush her hair away, taking hold of it so I can see her.
She licks the head, before taking me in her mouth, making my hips lift off the bed. She starts to suck, while twirling her tongue around me, and I have to fight to keep my eyes open.
Seeing her suck my cock is a fantasy come true. She pulls back and licks me from base to tip, instantly making pre-cum form on the tip, which she quickly laps up.
Sliding her mouth over me again, she starts to suck harder while stroking the base. Feeling her head move beneath my hands, while watching her lips glide over me as she sucks me hard, is heaven.
My breaths come faster over my parted lips and my insides clench with pleasure.
“Wait. Wait,” I groan, not wanting to come yet.
I pull her up my body, so she’s straddling me. Taking hold of my cock, I start to rub her clit until her hips rub against me, her pussy begging for more.
Her cheeks flush with pleasure as she moans. I drink in her soft features, her lips parting on her moans, her nipples hard little pebbles, and her hips thrusting down on me.
“Logan,” she groans.
I keep teasing her pussy, as I rub my cock over her opening. I position the head of my cock at her opening and thrust up, filling her completely.
I take hold of her hips, so I can keep the pace slow and deep. I make love to my wife until she comes apart in my hands.
After I find my own release, she slumps over me and neither of us moves for a long time.
“I’ve decided what to do with my life,” she whispers.
“Oh yeah,” I say, pressing a kiss against her hair.
“Yeah, a great man once told me I should do what I want, that I should choose something for me, because it’s what I want. Another great man told me that I’m amazing with people. I’m taking their advice and I’ve decided to become a Hospice Care Nurse. I want to be there for people who are going through the same thing as Marcus. I think I’ll be able to help them.”
I close my eyes and wrap my arms tightly around her.
“I think you’ll be great at it. I’ll support you any way I can.”
She smiles up at me and presses a kiss over my heart before resting her ear against my skin.
“I love listening to your heart beat. I like to think it’s the rhythm of our love.”
The End
Find out what happens in Jaxson and Leigh’s story ~ coming in February 2018
Read on for an excerpt from the first book in Michelle’s exciting Enemies to Lovers series: HEARTLESS, Book 1
Prologue
Della
Life is made up of a series of lies.
Love? It’s a fairytale some person made up so they didn’t have to face the cold, hard fact that we are all alone. You come into this world alone and you leave it alone. Loneliness, it’s the one the thing we fear most. It means you’re forgotten, you’ve been rejected, or you’re overlooked.
Little girls are told fairy tales of how a prince will come along to sweep them up into their loving arms. From a young age, they are taught that their purpose is to belong. They have to have a family, a husband, children – without this, they are failures.
Little boys are told stories of firemen, policemen, the brave souls who will overcome any evil. They are taught that their purpose is to be the man of the house, to protect, to provide – if they’re not able to do this, they aren’t men.
They’re all lies that most people believe. We create such unnecessary pain for ourselves. You feel like a failure because no one loves you. You only exist if there’s someone who sees you. Your life only has worth if you’re living for someone else.
That restlessness you feel? It’s your soul crying out to be set free from all the deceit you’ve been forced to believe.
Once in a while, someone will break free from the norm society has created. I want to be one of those people. I want to be different. I want to break every damn rule society has ever made for us.
It will mean that I’m alive and not just another sheep wandering aimlessly through life.